Alaska Militia Leader Gets 25 Years

Schaeffer Cox is seen in a video released by a gun rights organization. (YouTube)

(Newser)
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A militia leader in Alaska found guilty of plotting to murder federal law enforcement officials has been sentenced to 25 years and 10 months in federal prison. Schaeffer Cox, the 28-year-old leader of the "Alaska Peacemakers Militia," could have gotten life for his nine federal weapons and conspiracy convictions, the Anchorage Daily News reports. A co-defendant who threatened to kill the chief federal judge in Alaska got the same sentence.

Cox, who is married with two young children, told the court that he was paranoid when he outlined a plan to kill judges and police officers to militia members—including a government informant. "The more scared I got, the crazier the things I started saying. I wasn't thinking, I was panicking," he said. "I lost all of my composure and created a horrible mess and you know, if I was the FBI, I would've investigated me too—I don't blame them for that. I don't blame anybody but myself for starting this." (Read more Schaeffer Cox stories.)

If these backwoods militia folk would think about it for a minute they would know that the whole idea of them rising up to destroy an oppressive government, is complete fantasy. I don't care how many rounds they could carry, 1 Apache from a distance would do the job. Day or night , rain or snow, no matter what. Hit and run can win a battle but will never win a war. Eventually you gotta stand and fight and that's when they would lose.

BrushMan

Jan 9, 2013 12:53 PM CST

Mr. Cox admitted that he was paranoid. All other gun nuts should fess-up too.

Libris_Fidelis

Jan 9, 2013 12:16 PM CST

Again the news media is not using responsible, accurately-correct "grown-ups'" words! WHAT is a militia? A militia is not a self-proclaimed group, it is an AUTHORIZED group! Back in the 1700s neighbors in the frontier could far more easily gain official recognition merely by proclaiming to a governor that they existed as a militia group. That does not exist any more and has not existed since the late 1890s. Until the news media shows some sort of credible evidence that the Alaska governor has officially acknowledged them as a "well regulated" militia, to me they are just a self-ordained gun club !!!!!!